Shrimp and Chorizo Pizza with Manchego Cheese, Toasted Garlic, and Escarole
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 head escarole (see Note), cut lengthwise through the core
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One 6-ounce ball Pizza Dough (page 232)
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1/2 pound Manchego cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 1/4 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
- One 2-inch piece hard Spanish chorizo, skin removed, very thinly sliced
- Preheat the oven to 500F.
- Put a pizza stone or a baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat it along with the oven for at least 20 minutes.
- Put a large skillet over high heat and coat it with the oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for only 10 to 20 seconds, until it just begins to lightly brown.
- You have to keep moving the garlic around the pan so it doesnt burn; if it does, start over because nothing is worse than the flavor of burnt garlic.
- Quickly add the escarole and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook, turning the escarole over with the spoon, until it wilts, about 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat, turn out onto a large plate or baking sheet, and allow to cool.
- If the escarole looks too wet, transfer to a colander and drain in the sink.
- To prepare the pizza, dip the ball of dough into a little flour, shake off the excess, and set on a clean, lightly floured surface.
- Stretch the dough with your hands, turning the ball as you press down the center.
- Continue spreading the dough into a 10-inch circle with either your hands or a rolling pin.
- Leave the dough slightly thick so the topping does not seep through.
- Dust a pizza paddle with flour (if you dont have a paddle you can use a rimless cookie sheet as a substitute) and slide it under the dough.
- Lightly brush the outer edge of the dough with oil to create a sheen on the surface of the crust.
- An important tip: take care not to get any oil on the pizza paddle or pan, or else when you try to slide the dough off , it will stick.
- Spread the cheese evenly on the pizza, leaving about a 1/4-inch border.
- Distribute the shrimp and chorizo evenly over the cheese.
- Spread the escarole evenly over the top.
- Slide the prepared pizza onto the hot baking stone and bake until the crust is nicely browned, roughly 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a cutting board and slice with a pizza cutter.
- Escarole
- A wonderfully versatile green, escarole remains one of those vegetables that people arent sure how to prepare.
- You can eat escarole raw in a salad, and I love it that way, especially with Creamy Parsley Dressing (page 87), but its at its best cooked.
- Its less bitter than its cousins radicchio and chicory, and sauteing it mellows out the flavor, making it sweet and vibrant.
- Escarole can be pretty sandy when you take it home from the market; luckily it is easy to clean.
- Cut the escarole crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips and put it in a large bowl of water.
- Swish the water around; the sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl.
- Lift the escarole out with your hands and put on a kitchen towel to dry.
- Thats it!
extravirgin olive oil, garlic, head, kosher salt, flour, manchego cheese, shrimp, spanish chorizo
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shrimp-and-chorizo-pizza-with-manchego-cheese-toasted-garlic-and-escarole-377758 (may not work)